All The World's A Stage
by Annie Coomes
Summary: In the heat of the summer, a serial killer begins a deadly game of copycat, recreating Shakespeare's finest scenes. Leaving behind only a trail of bodies and borrowed words, the killer seems intent on writing his own tragedy. Will Castle and Beckett soon learn that of all base passions, fear is the most accursed? [Castle Summer Hiatus 2015 Ficathon Entry].
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis** : In the heat of the summer, a serial killer begins a deadly game of copycat, recreating Shakespeare's finest scenes. Leaving behind only a trail of bodies and borrowed words, the killer seems intent on writing his own tragedy. Will Castle and Beckett soon learn that of all base passions, fear is the most accursed? [Castle Summer Hiatus 2015 Ficathon Entry]

Xxx

 **All The World's A Stage**

 **Chapter One**

The midday sun was high in the sky causing the blueness to appear endless. Hundreds of people had gathered to hear the soft strings of the Mozart concert that was being performed in Central Park; two of the people laying circled together lost in the music were Castle and Beckett.

They had not long finished their picnic and the remnants of strawberry stems smothered in cream were scattered alongside their shoes as they lay with the soft grass tickling at their bare feet. Kate lay perpendicular to Castle, with her head resting gently on his stomach, her head rising and falling with every breath he took. Her knees were pulled up with her bare legs warming under the August sun, the simple white dress she wore bunched around her thighs and a well worn copy of Storm Fall rested upon her knees. Her other hand was drawn up behind her where it rested in Castle's palm; their wedding bands pressed together as Castle's thumb aimlessly stroked the back of her hand. Castle had left his book face down in the grass, giving up the pretence of reading as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the weight of Kate's head upon his body. It was the moments of calm like these that made every one of their battles worthwhile. He used his free hand to trap a loose curl around his finger, relishing in the golden softness of her hair.

"Castle?" She murmured, her voice sounding warm like honey and as though she may just fall into a gentle sleep.

"Hmm?" He replied easily.

"We should do this more often"

She turned her head to look at him, he lifted his lazy eyelids to meet her smile. Her eyes danced with happiness as she spoke again.

"If I could be bothered to move, I'd kiss you right now"

He gave a short laugh.

"Ditto" he agreed before making a noisy display of kissing the air before him. She joined in his laughter, turning her head to press a kiss into his chest before returning to his book.

They could have lain like this for hours, but the chirping of Kate's phone startled them both back into reality. Castle passed her the phone from where her bag rested in the grass beside them.

"Reality calls" he murmured as she answered the call. She gave a soft groan before opening the phone, refusing to move from her lounging position.

"Beckett" her voice still held the sleepy quality, as though she had been awakened from a pleasant dream.

"Okay… We'll be there… about thirty minutes"

Kate dropped the phone so it landed on top of her now abandoned book. She rolled over where she lay, refusing to totally lose the moment they had created. Her chest now rested upon Castle's as she looked up at him, she gave him a smile, the kind she reserved only for him, as he reached forward to touch her face.

"Thank you for today, it was magical" she whispered before leaning in to find his mouth. He met her halfway, the softness of her lips were crushed quickly against his as he pulled her close. As their kiss intensified, he quickly flipped her so that she lay beneath him. He pulled back momentarily to watch her eyes as they both gasped for air.

As though remembering where they were, he pulled back, brushing her hair off her face as he did.

"Anytime" he grinned at her. Her flushed smile said it all.

In a matter of minutes they had packed up their picnic and walked hand in hand out of the park, heading back towards their reality.

Xxx

It had taken them just under thirty minutes to return to the loft and for Kate to change despite Castle's arguments.

"I don't see why you can't go in that" he pouted as he took in her long form, the white dress hugged her in all the right places before flaring out over her hips. She stopped only to raise an eyebrow at him.

"And where would I strap my gun?"

He stepped towards her, running a finger up her bare thigh.

"Well…" He began before she playfully slapped his hand away.

Ten minutes later they had left the loft, Kate now dressed in, crime scene appropriate, loose black linen trousers and a simple navy vest. The summer heat wave meant her normal array of shirts and jackets had been abandoned, though Castle still soldiered on in a thin shirt that had been partway unbuttoned down his chest with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows.

It didn't take them long to reach the crime scene and they arrived uncharacteristically empty handed for they were still full from the mornings' feast. Kate paused in the street to look up at the unassuming building before her, the sandstone structure matched the others that crowded the edge of the street. The buildings doorman was just inside the entrance being interviewed so they were greeted by an uniformed officer. The officer nodded in recognition to Castle and Beckett, sweat had already began to course down his face from standing in the midday heat.

"Apartment fourteen, first on your right on the fourth floor".

Kate thanked the officer before leading the way up the stairs with Castle following behind her. As they reached the top of the fourth flight of steps they both paused to catch their breath in the thick, humid air and wipe away the sweat beads that had began forming on their foreheads. She caught Castle watching and flashed him a grin.

"You've got to love a New York summer" she muttered.

"I'd love it much more from our air conditioned apartment" he grunted as Kate shook her head before turning into the hallway.

They easily found the apartment, the officers outside along with the tell-tail yellow crime scene tape had become a point of interest for the residents along the hall who braved the heat to come out and gawk.

Kate weaved her way between the onlookers and stepped into the apartment. She was greeted by Ryan who stood just over the threshold to the apartment and by the more welcomed whirl of the air conditioner. Ryan gave them a knowing smile as they stepped into the cool interior of the entrance hallway and used their brief reprise from the heat to survey their surroundings.

They stood in a short hallway with cream walls, cream carpets and minimal furniture and fixtures. Off the hallway came three doorways, Ryan gestured to them.

"Kitchen and dining room off the left. Living room at the end of the hall. Bedroom and ensuite to the right"

"Wow" Castle commented, looking around. "Are you sure someone actually lived here? It's all so… cream"

"And cream's a crime?" Kate retorted before turning back to Ryan with a smirk.

"What have we got?"

"Body of caucasian female, approximately fifty years old, hanging in the bathroom"

"Who's the apartment registered to?"

Ryan flicked open his weathered reporters notebook and bent back the pages.

"One Jessica Sullivan, Lanie is checking ID now"

"Thanks"

Kate headed towards the bathroom whilst Ryan continued his sweep in the other rooms. Castle gingerly followed Kate through the bedroom, also cream, fearful that his existence might somehow stain the spotless interior.

Lanie stood just inside the oak door of the bathroom, as Kate entered the doorway she crinkled her nose in surprise, registering the smell, it was not the smell normally associated with death or decomp.

"Afternoon" Lanie greeted her with a wide smile, "you sure took your sweet time getting here" she teased, wagging suggestive eyebrows at Castle. Castle blinked innocently at Lanie.

"We were at the park" Kate interjected, "today was the Mozart in the Park concert"

"Oh! I've heard good things about that, how was it?"

Kate shared a quick smile with Castle.

"It was excellent"

Lanie nudged her knowingly with her elbow.

"I bet it was"

Kate's smile spread into a grin.

"Right, what have we got here?"

"And what's that smell?" Castle added on.

Lanie's voice became professional as she began her report.

"Female in her fifties, hanging by a rope from the rail of her bathtub. Petechial haemorrhaging in the eyes fits with death by hanging, as does the bruising around the neck. No defensive wounds on her arms or signs on her fingernails that she fought the rope. Time of death approximately 10pm last night."

"Suicide?"

"Most probable, I'd like to run some more tests at the lab before I give cause of death though".

Kate nodded in understanding before Lanie cut her off.

"Plus, there's this"

Using her gloved hands, Lanie carefully rotated the victims hand until the palm was facing up, out the corner of her eye Kate saw Castle wrinkle his nose, but she remained riveted on the hand.

"What happened?"

"Her skin was burnt off - I'd assume chemically from the smell"

Kate's brow now furrowed.

"Who burns off their hands before hanging themselves? Can you even tie a knot with hands that raw?" Castle mused aloud, Kate didn't respond, she was wondering the same questions in her head.

"Will you be able to tell the substance used?"

"I should be able to"

"Okay, ask CSU to bag and tag all chemicals, cleaners, bleach etcetera on site."

"Will do"

"Thanks"

Kate turned back into the bedroom and began to appraise the scene.

"Kate?" Lanie called from the bathroom. She turned back over her shoulder.

"Photo ID confirms, this is Jessica Sullivan"

Kate imprinted the name and the face into her mind – this woman was hers now.

"Beckett? I found a note, the only thing left out on her desk". Ryan stepped into the room now, holding a clear evidence bag in his hand. Kate took it from him and studied the paper inside. It wasn't normal paper, it felt heavy in her hands, quilted almost. The writing upon it almost danced across the page in a swirl of fine calligraphy. Castle looked over her shoulder.

"That's expensive paper, feels like linen paper or possibly cotton"

Kate looked over her shoulder at him, he was close enough for her to breathe in his scent, the smell suddenly flooding her senses. She held his eyes for just a moment before turning back to Ryan and speaking.

"Did you find anymore of it? In her desk possibly?

"No, this was the only sheet"

"Not cream enough for her" Castle ribbed as Kate fought an eye roll. "What does it say?"

Kate frowned momentarily, her eyes fighting to untangle the maze like scripture.

"Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day"

"It's cryptic for a suicide note" remarked Ryan.

"A lyric or a poem?" Kate suggested, turning the note over in her hand.

Castle leaned forward, taking the note from her hands muttering, "Philistines" before clearing his throat.

"Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day" he read in his finest English accent, pausing for effect. Ryan and Kate shared a look before turning to face him. Castle stood there staring at them expectantly before releasing a sigh.

"It's Shakespeare. Macbeth to be exact. Act one, scene three."

"What does it mean?" Ryan asked.

"It's what Macbeth says after returning from the witches, he's speaking about becoming king. It means-" he paused, either to gather his thoughts or for dramatic pause, Kate wasn't quite sure which.

"It means, one way or another, what's going to happen is going to happen"

Kate took the paper back from Castle and turned it over in her hands,

"Let's check it against her handwriting and see if it's a match"

Castle let out a scoff.

"Macbeth, come on guys! 'Out damned spot, out I say!'"

Castle paused, a thought forming in his head.

"Oh no, I know that look" she could sense a theory coming and passed the note to Ryan so he could go and compare the handwriting.

"Out damned spot, out I say"

"Go on Castle, what's your theory?" She almost regretted asking, but the childish excitement it drew from him always warmed her soul.

"Lady Macbeth, can't wash the blood from her hands. She's convinced they're stained red from the blood, no matter how hard she scrubs she cannot remove it, the main theme playing out here is her guilt."

Kate studied the set of his eyes, they were flashing with the usual excitement at one of his maddening theories but they also creased at the edges as though he were deep in thought.

"What are you suggesting?"

"That she was feeling guilty about something"

"Guilty enough to take her own life? Or perhaps someone left her the note, forcing her to act upon her guilt?"

Kate chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Well, we'll wait to see what more Lanie has to tell us back at the lab, whether it is officially ruled as suicide. Let's go speak to the husband, see if there were any reasons why she may have taken her own life"

As she turned towards the door to leave, Castle gently grasped her elbow pulling her back to face him.

"I think you're becoming more accepting of my theories" he teased quietly.

"What has marriage done to me?" She mock exclaimed before sending him a wink and turning back towards the door, "at least it wasn't the CIA this time".

"I know, the CIA goes back in time to clone the Bard, but the modern world turns him mad and he vows to take his revenge!"

Kate let out a scoff as she walked through the door.

"Come on, Shakespeare".


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks so much for all the really positive comments already! Hope this doesn't disappoint :)_

 _Xxx_

 **Chapter Two**

It was a short walk from Jessica Sullivan's apartment to the accountancy offices where her husband worked. Castle begged to escape from the heat in the cool constraints of a cab but Kate ignored his pleas, insisting the walk would do them good. They took a slow pace, their arms brushing against each other and their shoulders touching as she refused to hold hands on the job. Kate had tied her hair back earlier to free her face from the heated layers, now a few stray tendrils stuck to her neck and Castle reached forward to brush them free. Kate relished the touch for just a moment before ducking away.

"Castle…" She started.

"I know, I know. Not at work" he said in mock indignation. She turned in to him, pressing into his arm.

"What? I stopped?"

"We're here" she glanced at him meaningfully, steering him towards the door with her body. For a split second she twirled her fingers in-between his and squeezed, then just as quickly, she released him, stepping into the building.

Kate strode up to the front desk, the set of her body revealing she meant business. At the counter she flashed her badge.

"Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle. We need to speak with Max Sullivan"

The man at the desk took a second to study her badge before glancing up at their faces, the appraising stare Kate was cooly giving him caused him to flush quickly and he nervously begin tapping at his computer.

"Level 5 – offices of McMiller and Sons. I'll have security take you up"

Kate was already on her way to the elevators across the tiled floor of the lobby.

"I'm sure we can find it" she called back as the elevator doors pinged shut before them.

The offices of McMiller and Sons were not very impressive. Simple chairs filled the waiting areas and an overworked woman manned the cheap desk that sat in the centre of the room.

"Max Sullivan?" Kate asked.

"Do you have an appointment?" The woman sighed without even looking up, continuing to tap away at her computer whilst pressing buttons on the phone.

Kate held up her badge again.

"No, we don't"

The receptionist took in the badge and seemed to fight another sigh. She pressed a button on the phone that caused a buzz to echo down the hallway from an office.

"Max, the police are here to see you"

"The police?" Kate could hear the confusion in his voice. "Send them down"

The receptionist didn't rise from her chair, she turned back to her computer and gestured down the hallway. Kate and Castle shared a quick look as they led themselves down the short hallway.

"Not exactly high class accountancy" Castle murmured.

"No" Kate agreed, "they seem to be over worked and underpaid"

It was something to keep in mind.

They paused at the door with Max's name tacked cheaply upon it and as Kate raised her hand to knock, the door swung open before her.

"Officers" Max greeted them.

"Max Sullivan?" Kate asked.

"Yes" he confirmed, searching their faces.

"I'm Detective Beckett, and this is my partner, Mr. Castle. We need to speak with you" she paused for a moment, "about your wife".

Max gestured them inside the room, closing the door behind them. He turned to them, his eyes now wide as he awaited their next words. Kate took a deep breath, readying herself for the news she was about to break, for the hole she was about to create in someone else's life. This moment, before she broke the news, always took her back momentarily to the instant she learned of her mothers' murder. The whirlwind of disbelief and the stabbing pain of the truth that whispered across Kate's heart meant that she always delivered this news with the delicacy and decorum it deserved.

Castle watched the emotions flicker across Kate's face and knew instantly that she was thinking of her mother. It would happen at unpredictable moments, at things that may seem inconsequential, such as the colour of a summer blossom or the sound of gravel crunching under foot. Then he would see that look pass over her face, the look that had haunted her delicate features when they'd met all those years ago, a look he'd begun to see much less frequently, since more joy and laughter had entered her life. But in this moment, he knew the pain of the loss she was feeling and he longed to pull her into his arms and remind her that she was safe, that she had her justice.

Instead Castle gave her a soft smile, and because she knew him just as he knew her, she could read all the things he wanted to say to her in the worried shine of his eyes. She gave him the ghost of a smile, one that only he would recognise, before she spoke again to Max.

"I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but your wife, Jessica Sullivan, was found dead this morning in your apartment".

Max didn't move. He stood in silence as the words sunk into him. He looked from Kate to Castle, and back to Kate again.

"She… She's dead?" The voice was a whisper.

"Yes. I'm so very sorry for your loss".

Max turned away from them and stood facing the small window. It did not boast much of a view, but Max stood, taking in the array of buildings around him, the late afternoon sun glinting off the glass.

"What happened?" His voice was laced with grief, an undercurrent of confusion caused him to stumble upon his words.

"She was found…" Kate paused, knowing the effect her next words would have on him, "hanged in the bathroom"

"Hanged?" He swirled back round to face them, suddenly animated.

"You're saying she killed herself?"

"The medical examiner is yet to confirm cause of death, but it's a possibility we must consider".

Max raised his hands to run them through his thin hair.

"I don't understand…"

"Mr. Sullivan, we need to ask, was your wife depressed? Was there anything happening in her life that might cause her to-"

"To kill herself?" He cut her off, "No, no, absolutely not."

"Any problems at work?" Castle asked gently.

"No, she… She was an editor at the Scandal magazine"

"I have one last question, for now, Jessica died at approximately ten pm. Where were you last night?".

He raised his eyes in a flash, the unshed tears glinting dangerously.

"I was working. Here. All night"

Kate nodded, mentally making a note to check his alibi.

"Thank you. Again, our condolences".

Her parting words were lost on Max, he had turned back to stare aimlessly out the window.

Kate and Castle walked quietly down the hallway, making a quick detour at the receptionists desk.

"Excuse me? What time do you work until?"

The woman answered without glancing up.

"Until six pm"

"Would anyone be in the building after that?"

"Possibly the partners"

"Are they available?"

"No they're out for an afternoon meeting"

Kate and Castle stepped back into the elevator, letting the hum of machinery fill the air. Outside the building they began to muse aloud before they set off back down the street, the hum of the traffic increasing as the evening began to approach and the heat from the sun lessening none as its rays began to fade from yellow to burnt orange.

"Husband spends the whole night in that cramped office? I'm not buying it", Castle paused to lean against a tree as he spoke to Kate.

"I agree. We'll talk to the partners and her place of work. See if there was any trouble there".

Kate began to walk off but Castle hooked his thumb with hers, tugging her gently towards him.

"You okay?" He asked her lightly, but searched her eyes meaningfully. She took him in, appreciating the familiar lines of his face before she nodded at him with a soft smile.

"Thanks" she murmured, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, so thankful to have him in her life. As Castle unhooked his thumb from hers, the ring of her phone grabbed their attention. Kate held up the caller ID.

"Lanie" she said as she answered the call, leaning her head toward Castle's. Their cheeks pressed together as they both listened, straining towards the ear piece.

"Lanie, have you got a cause of death for me?"

"I have, but it's not what you're expecting. You need to come see this, now".


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks so much for reading and for the reviews! I have most of the bigger plot points planned out, but let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see happen, such as certain interactions or Caskett moments._

 _Xxx_

 **Chapter Three**

The cool air of the morgue was a welcome relief from the sticky evening air of the streets. The stark contrast in temperature caused the thin hairs on the back of Kate's arms to stand up, but she made no complaint, the urgent words from Lanie had pushed any trivial comments about the weather from her mind. The same couldn't be said for Castle.

"Brrr!" Castle exclaimed as he ran the wide spread of his hands up and down his arms. "You would make a fortune selling tickets in here! Ten dollars for ten minutes of glorious cold!"

Lanie arched an eyebrow at him before turning to look meaningfully around her at the bodies.

"Hm, I guess your right. The bodies could be a problem…." He trailed off as he caught Kate's look.

"Right, anyway, you had news for us?" Castle asked, reasserting his professionalism. As he turned towards the body, he couldn't help but notice the ghost of a smile playing on Kate's lips, it caused a mirror reaction upon his own face.

Lanie made a fuss of collecting her notes, allowing her friends to enjoy the small moment that had been created, she fought to hide her own smile, secretly pleased at the amount of joy they had found in each other.

"Right, Jessica Sullivan, aged fifty five, petechial haemorrhaging in the eyes, ligature marks on the neck matching the type of rope found on the scene, cause of death is asphyxia due to hanging."

"So it was a suicide" Castle asked, his brow set in momentary sorrow for the woman who lay before them.

"No" Lanie replied, her eyes now dancing with intrigue. Kate's head shot up to meet her eyes, the question in them already apparent before the words had formed on her lips.

"I have two contradictory pieces of evidence. First, the hands. Analysis shows they were soaked in lye, the skin was literally burnt off her palms to the tissue and bone" Lanie paused for a moment, "Blood vessel damage shows she was alive when it happened".

Kate grimaced, the smell of the lye still haunting her nostrils, she knew the pain would have been unbearable.

"It must be impossible to tie a knot with hands that damaged" Castle mused.

"Exactly. I had CSU test the rope – no evidence of lye on it at all."

"So she couldn't have tied the rope… Was there any tissue found on the rope?" Kate asked, her mind beginning to race with possibilities.

"No, no lye and no tissue. I don't believe she tied this knot, and there's no evidence that she struggled against it either."

Kate and Castle looked at one another.

"Who lets themselves be hanged?" Castle now asked, staring back at the lifeless remains before him.

"Exactly" Lanie exclaimed before gesturing towards the back of Sullivan's neck, "that's exactly what I thought, so I searched her body with a magnifying scope and found this".

Lanie held the scope over a small spot on Sullivan's neck, it appeared amplified on the screen behind them.

"Do you see it?"

Castle stepped closer to the screen, squinting his eyes.

Lanie rolled her eyes at him,

"This is why I'm amazing" she pointed to a tiny dot on the base of Sullivan's neck. "It's a puncture mark, from a needle approximately 6mm in length. If I hadn't been looking for it, I might not have found it."

Kate's eyes widened, the implications whirling through her head.

"Lanie, you're amazing"

She flashed a grin and threw her arms up in the air.

"I'm not finished there"

Castle and Kate turned back to face her, watching her expectantly.

"So I then ran an enhanced tox screen, to see if I could find what she had been injected with"

"And?" Castle interjected, his impatience getting the better of him.

"And she was injected with ketamine"

"Ketamine? The horse tranquilliser?" It was Kate's turn for her brow to furrow.

"Yes, in the right dose it can cause the loss of feeling in humans and paralysis of the muscles"

"She was awake for the entire thing?". Lanie held Castle's eyes and nodded slowly, he swallowed heavily and looked down at the body before him. A silence had now settled over the morgue.

"I'm ruling it as a homicide".

Xxx

The homicide verdict and new information had given Kate a second wind, it seemed as though the morning of strawberries and soft laughter had been a lifetime ago, as she now walked quickly down the heated streets of the city. Kate wanted to make a stop at Jessica's offices before they shut for the day, her mind now rearranging the multitude of questions she had planned to ask. She glanced over at Castle who was easily matching her hurried pace with no word of complaint. She could tell by the set of his brow that he was processing the new information, just as she was. It always impressed her how much like a cop he had started to think, whilst still keeping the writer's imagination that spurred on his theories.

They reached the office with half an hour to spare and paused to look up at the imposing building. It was a stark contrast to the rundown offices of her husband; Scandal magazine's head quarters were housed within a modern building designed with sharp angles that met between glass walkways.

"Wow, this is like uptown girl compared to the accountancy offices" Castle retorted as they stepped through the embossed doors and into the glass area that was the lobby. They took in the array of seating, coloured chairs jutting at odd angles were positioned throughout the space, Kate brushed her hand across one as they walked through and had her suspicions confirmed; they felt as uncomfortable as they looked.

As they approached the clear glass reception desk, a well dress young man had appeared beside them.

"Good afternoon and welcome to Scandal" . Kate appraised the man, she couldn't imagine having to spend the entire day greeting people in that enthusiastic tone. Despite having probably greeted fifty people already today, the man's eyes still held genuine warmth as he welcomed them.

"NYPD, we're here about Jessica Sullivan"

"Oh, Mrs. Sullivan isn't here today" he began before his eyes filled with a sudden panic.

"Oh my goodness, has something happened to her?" His voice had begun to raise an octave and Kate spoke in a hushed tone, hoping to draw the attention away from them.

"We need to speak with her boss and to her assistant"

The man looked around, slightly flapping before he seemed to pull himself together and grasped the walkie talkie that hung on his belt.

"I need to speak to Mr. Irving, it's a police matter"

Castle and Beckett stood waiting as the walkie talkie screeched back at them, the man's brow furrowed and he turned to speak into it again. As he did this Kate turned to look up at the high rafters above her, the glass walkways had tinted floors so she could only see the footsteps of the hordes of people above her. Castle brushed a lone finger down her bare arm.

"Imagine working in a building like this"

"Maybe 100 years in the future"

"Glass walls, glass elevators, I bet you could even have an emergency jet pack in your office"

Kate raised a teasing eye brow at him.

"An emergency jet pack?"

"You know, in case…. In case there's an emergency!". His eyes had lit with the childlike excitement that she adored.

"What kind of emergency would require a jet pack?" She challenged him, knowing she shouldn't encourage him but unable to help herself.

"Oh, Kate" he flashed that boyish grin at her, the one that made her feel flutters in her stomach and set her skin alive, "you have no idea".

She matched his smile and held in the short laugh that threatened to spill out, her eyes sparkled with it though, giving her away to him.

"Excuse me? Mrs. Sullivan's boss, Gus Irving, left this morning for a meeting across town"

"We'll need his contact details" and with that Kate was back in Detective mode, the hint of laughter having left her eyes.

"Of course, her assistant, Kacey Milark is still here though. I'll take you up to her" he informed them as he led them towards a bank of elevators. As they stepped in, Kate looked around at the glass ceiling and floors, she could see all the mechanics around her as they began their journey up. Looking out the window across the city, all she could imagine was crowds of people escaping with their jet packs. She could feel the weight of Castle's gaze on the back of her head and refused to meet his eyes, she wasn't going to let her eyes betray her this time.

As they followed the assistant out of the elevator Kate brushed passed Castle, but not before she heard his whisper within her ear.

"I know you were imagining it… It was awesome, right?"

She shook her head as she walked forward, hoping he couldn't see her grin.

Kacey Milark stood next to the large glass desk in the centre of the office, her fingers brushed at her trouser legs nervously and she didn't quite seem to know where to rest her eyes.

"Kacey Milark?" Kate confirmed.

"Y-yes" she stumbled, her eyes wide, "what's happening?"

"I'm Detective Beckett, this is Mr. Castle, we need to ask you some questions about your boss."

"Why?"

Kate avoided the question and began to walk around the outskirts of the office, taking in the environment.

"How long have you worked for Jessica?"

"This is my third year"

"What was she like to work for?"

"Um, she was great. She could be hard work but she always knew what she wanted" Kacey glanced around nervously, as though afraid she could be overheard through the glass walls.

"Is everything okay?" Castle asked her, she turned to him, nodding quickly before returning her eyes to the buttons on her sleeve.

"Did Jessica have any problems at work? Any threats?"

At that question Kacey's entire body seemed to tense, ready to flee.

"Her and Gus had been arguing lately" Kacey replied vaguely, her voice shaking.

"Arguing about what?" Kate spoke softly now, trying to earn the young woman's trust.

"About her promotion"

"She was being promoted?"

"No, but she wanted to be" Kacey took a deep breath, "what's going on?"

"Jessica was found dead at home this morning"

Kacey gasped and staggered backwards, Castle was behind her and turned the chair to face her, Kacey collapsed into it.

"Wh-what happened?" Her voice had become a squeak.

"The investigation is ongoing, we haven't established cause of death yet" Kate lied, wanting to gauge her reaction and knowing she couldn't share the news until she had informed the husband.

"Was she...murdered?" The last word was a gasp.

"It's a possibility", with that Kacey sat and cried into the tissue Castle had offered her. As Castle comforted her, Kate began to look through her desk, stopping only when she reached a locked drawer.

"Kacey, do you have a key for this?"

Kacey shook her head, still clinging to her crumpled tissue.

"No, Jess had the only copy. Can… Can I go home now?"

Kate took in the young woman's devastated appearance.

"Of course, we'll be in touch tomorrow with more questions".

The woman barely seemed to hear her as she staggered out of the office.

In the next ten minutes Kate had left a message with Gus Irving asking him to contact her and arranged for CSU to sweep the room. Once CSU had arrived it took them only moments to force open the drawer, bagging and tagging the evidence before handing it to Kate. She looked into the heavy folder and her eyes widened. She logged out the evidence and turned to Castle.

"Let's head home"

He looked questioningly at her and the folder in her grasp, she said nothing but kept her lips pressed together. In the elevator down Castle began to softly hum the Ironman theme, as the doors opened Kate turned to him,

"You know Ironman didn't have a jet pack right? He had had thrusters and repulse beams"

Kate stepped out of the elevator leaving Castle staring open mouthed behind her.

"Coming, Castle?" She called over her shoulder innocently. He let a slow smile spread across his face as he followed her out onto the street.

Xxx

Back at the loft the familiar swirl of the air conditioning filled the air as Kate kicked off her heels, letting her feet sink into the soft carpet of the lounge. She still held the folder, having refused to tell Castle what was in it, achieving her goal of driving him mad.

"Spaghetti? Salad? Steaks?" Castle called across to her as he searched through the fridge. She wandered across the loft to meet him in the kitchen, standing behind the door. He closed the fridge and found himself face to face with her.

"Or none of the above?"

She didn't speak, she just held his gaze as her fingers ran along the edge of the folder. He lifted his long fingers and ran one down the shallow of her cheek and the other across the front of the folder. She leaned unconsciously into his hand as he moved another step closer so she could feel the heat of his breath on her face. She bit her bottom lip, looking down at the folder then back up to the warmth of his eyes, feeling her resolve dissipate before him. Then his lips were on hers, soft at first before the oh so familiar passion that lived between them sparked to life. She pushed herself against his chest, her fingers gathering handfuls of his hair as a soft moan escaped her mouth. He kissed her back, using one hand to hold her against the length of him and the other to slide the folder from her hands.

He jumped back, opening the folder with glee.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, glancing up at her, she was biting her bottom lip as she looked up at him. A delicious grin crossed his face.

"She was a blackmailer?!". He couldn't hide the excitement from his voice as he stepped towards Kate again, she nodded at him, her eyes still wide with invitation. Castle dropped the folder onto the nearby counter before stepping towards her, she met him halfway, their mouths meeting each other with a frantic need that had been building all day. The folder of blackmail material and ledgers would have to wait.


	4. Chapter 4

_Massive thanks and credit to the amazing dtrekker for the brilliant cover art!_

 _Xxx_

 **Chapter Four**

In the muted light of the early dawn, Castle had kissed Kate awake, their naked limbs already entangled from the previous night. She had fought consciousness only for a moment before she melted into her husband, his warm hands gathering her close as they welcomed the new day together.

When they arrived at the precinct the sun had only just risen, casting a pink hue through the empty hallways. Kate wore thin cotton trousers, her hair falling loosely over the thick straps of her white vest top, her heeled sandals clicking on the tiled floor were the only sounds to fill the near empty precinct as she approached the murder board.

They stood together, leaning against her desk, sipping their iced coffees as they appraised the murder board before them. They rested with their bodies pressed together, knee to knee, thigh to thigh and shoulder to shoulder.

Espo had updated the board with the details of the cleaner who had found the body, he had interviewed her on site and been able to quickly confirm her alibi, ruling her out. A photograph of Jessica Sullivan now adorned the middle of the board, her eyes full of life and smiling out, her hair short and bouncy around her face. A small wave of melancholy waved over Kate as she saw the woman Jessica had been, sometimes she felt as though she only met people on the worst day of their lives. As though Castle could read her mind, he ran the pad of this thumb down the length of her palm, his touch providing all the comfort she could ever need. She gave him a small smile, looking up at him from underneath her lashes before standing to add the contents of her blackmail folder to the board.

Twenty minutes later Kate stepped back to study the board, a thin frown marring her brow as she took in the array of evidence she had now collected. Castle watched her work, studying the small expressions on her face that she didn't know she was revealing, he felt as though he could read the innermost workings of her mind.

"Morning, Castles!"

The greeting echoed along the hallway and Kate turned to see Ryan walking towards them, he looked well rested and greeted them with a smile. Javi fell into step beside him until they reached the murder board, looking unmistakably fuller than it did when they had left for the night.

Kate turned back to the board and began to summarise the case so far, as much for her benefit as for theirs.

"Jessica Sullivan. Drugged, burned and hanged. Husband claims she was happy, her assistant revealed she had been arguing with her boss, Gus Irving, about a promotion. Castle and I will visit him today and follow up with the husband."

"I caught up with Lanie" Javi added, pausing whilst Castle and Ryan wagged suggestive eyebrows at him, "The lye came from an alkaline drain cleaner called 'Alko-Clear' which is available online or in any general store"

Kate pursed her lips, the killer had been careful, leaving behind little physical evidence.

"Thanks Espo, can you chase up CSU today, see if they have any fingerprints or trace evidence we can use? Also see if they had any luck with the paper or ink from the note"

"Sure thing"

The boys paused to stare at Castle who was now moving excitedly from foot to foot, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"What?" They asked him, eyeing him warily. Castle turned to Kate, his eyes wide, seeking permission as he bounced off the desk. She rolled her eyes at him, hiding her smirk.

"Go on then, Castle"

He moved in front of the murder board, his eyes still gleaming.

"Guess what she was"

Ryan and Espo shared a look.

"Spy"

"Undercover agent"

"The million dollar man"

"An alien!"

They reeled off a list of possibilities before Kate's scoffing laugh interjected.

"You two sound as bad as him!"

Ryan and Espo straightened, turning to Castle who appeared about to burst. He stepped forward, laying a secretive arm on Ryan's shoulder.

"Don't worry, if it was an alien you'd be the first person I'd call" he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Whereas, in fact" he paused to give himself a drumroll by banging on the nearby desk, "Jessica Sullivan was a blackmailer!"

Whatever they'd been excepting to hear, it wasn't that, they turned questioningly to Kate who only nodded in response.

"We found a folder of evidence in her desk last night. She had photos, blackmail notes and ledgers on at least ten different people. Including her boss and her husband's boss" Kate explained.

"I can see why you two were in such a hurry last night" Ryan remarked as he leaned in to study the blackmail photos. Espo released a snort, whilst Kate fought the blush rising up her cheeks.

"We're going to question the bosses about the blackmail. It doesn't look like all the demands had been sent yet, I want you two to question the remaining victims, also get a handwriting sample from them."

She turned back to the copy of the note on the board.

"It's not a suicide note"

"It could be a staged note from the killer? Or a threat?" Castle began to muse before Kate addressed the team.

"Right, let's do this".

The boys took a list of names and photos each and headed towards the door. Kate turned to Castle, who was studying the note again, as though he were drawn to it.

"Castle?"

He didn't respond as he studied the calligraphy.

"Castle?" The hand on his shoulder caught his attention and he turned to face her. Her tawny eyes studied him momentarily.

"You okay?"

His only response was the flash of his grin, satisfied with that, they headed towards the elevator where the pink hues had now turned golden.

Xxx

Kate had called ahead to Max Sullivan to arrange a meeting and he had directed them to a motel room several blocks away from his office. They knocked on the metal door of the room number he had given them and waited as they took in the peeling paint from the outside walls of the building. Max opened the door, his bleary eyes staring at them in confusion.

"Mr. Sullivan? We met yesterday and spoke on the phone about thirty minutes ago" Kate reminded him gently. Max ran his hands over his stubbly face.

"Of course, come in" he stepped back into the room and gestured to them. They stepped into the room, both fighting the urge to wrinkle their noses at the stench of bad whisky that clouded the space. Max threw back the badly patterned curtains, allowing some daylight to stream into the small room, he sat back on the bed and gestured for them to do the same. Castle and Kate both remained standing, Kate choosing to lean against the desk whilst Castle fiddled with the latch on the window, hoping to let in some oxygen.

"So what have you come to tell me? Jess killed herself?" His words were still slightly slurred and Castle offered him a glass of water from the pitcher on the table.

"Did your wife have any enemies?" Kate asked, framing her question carefully. Max crinkled his face in thought.

"Well she was always pissing people off, but not enemies" it seemed the whiskey had made Max freer with his opinions.

"Mr. Sullivan, you said you were at the office all night however no one was able to verify that"

Max stood up now, downing the glass of water and letting the thinly coated rage shine in his eyes.

"Verify that? My wife killed herself, why would I need to verify that? Maybe if I'd spent more time at home, if I'd…". He trailed off, his anger evaporating as he fell back onto the bed, his head in his hands.

"Mr. Sullivan, we have new evidence that suggests that your wife didn't kill herself"

He raised his eyes to meet Kate's, staring at her wordlessly.

"We believe your wife was murdered"

Max choked for air and Castle quickly offered him another glass of water.

"Murdered? Who… Who would do that to her?"

"That's what we're trying to work out" Castle said softly.

Kate opened the folder she had brought with her, it included the blackmail photos of both the Sullivan's bosses. She lay them on the table before her.

"Did you know your wife was blackmailing your boss and her boss?"

Max visibly paled before them, his eyes darting wildly around the room; it told Kate everything she needed to know.

"How long had it been going on?"

He didn't answer, his eyes darting to the open window again.

"Max. I could arrest you for accessory to extortion right now. Start talking."

"It's… It's not what you think. She was blackmailing her boss, she wanted a promotion he wouldn't give her. I had nothing to do with it! I refused to be a part of it!"

"Did Mr. Irving know it was her?"

He nodded his head weakly.

"And your boss?"

His eyes flashed with panic now.

"She tried to convince me, 'look how easy it is, we could get everything we wanted' but I wouldn't let her. She wanted me to be a partner. She kept telling me how weak I was, how a real man would step up and do it"

Castle met Kate's eyes from across the room.

"So you killed her?" He asked.

"What? No, no! I wasn't, I wasn't even there that night!"

Kate stood and moved towards him,

"Mr. Sullivan, I need to take you downtown for questioning now"

He looked at her with broken eyes.

"You're arresting me?" Tears began to stream down his face.

"No, but I need to question you further".

They helped him up and led the weeping man to the back of her car.

Xxx

They left Max in holding to sober up and set off to find Gus Irving. They phoned ahead to the Scandal office who gave Kate the address of Irving's lunch meeting, and they set off back across town. The drive was slow, the roads clogged with commuters escaping the heat in the back of a cab.

"That wasn't what I was expecting". Kate's hands tapped impatiently across the steering wheel as she strained to look out over the traffic.

"I believed him"

Kate turned her head to face him now,

"That makes a change, normally everyone's guilty" she needled him gently.

"It was his grief. He was genuinely devastated over losing his wife"

They both sat in silence for a moment as that comment registered, it was a fear they both lived with every day. Fearing the moment could set a dark tone, Castle hit the radio, his facing beaming as familiar lyrics burst out the speakers.

"Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long, where did we go wrong" Castle belted it out, his hands forming power ballad fists as he howled along. Kate started at him for a fraction of a second before throwing back her head and letting laughter claim her. Spurred on by her reaction, he continued, grabbing hold of her hand and capturing her eyes.

"Hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race, a celebration Mr. Blue Sky's up there waiting"

The rest of the city sat in their cars, blaring their horns and shouting at the traffic, but inside one lone car, all that could be heard were the dire straits of singing accompanied by a chorus of laughter.

Xxx

It took them well over half an hour to reach the restaurant Gus Irving was at but when Castle and Kate arrived, their faces were stretched by laughter and their bodies loose.

"Come on Pavarotti" Kate called as she headed towards the restaurant front, she could see a line of tables on the sidewalk with a group of men sat crowded around one.

"Got him" Kate smiled to Castle as they sauntered over.

"Gus Irving?" She called out, holding up her badge with a friendly smile. Gus looked up at her, his eyes widening for a second before his body tensed in a familiar pose.

"Crap!" Kate muttered as Irving kicked back from the table and began to sprint, the sound of the metal chair hitting the sidewalk accompanied the sounds of his pounding feet on the concrete.

Kate and Castle instantly gave pursuit, their faces quickly covered by sweat in the burning heat. They chased him down the pavement, swerving through other pedestrians as Kate continued to shout after him.

"NYPD! Stop!"

When they reached the end of the road they could no longer see him, the road split two ways, left into a narrow alley and right towards another busy street. Kate indicated to the left with her head, pulling her weapon from her holster. Castle nodded to her before turning right onto the busy road.

Kate headed down the alley at a slower pace now, using her gun to clear the darkened corners as she called out,

"NYPD, show yourself!"

Through the sound of her heartbeat echoing in her ears she heard the scuffing of a shoe on the pavement; she sprinted towards the sound. Gus stood at the end of the alley having corned himself, he looked around wildly, like an animal trying to escape. Kate pointed her weapon at him

"Show me your hands!"

He held his hands out in front of him, his palms up and empty. Satisfied, she began to lower her weapon as she moved towards him. He looked around her and made one last dive for escape. He ran straight at Kate, she braced herself for impact as he collided with her, his heavier body weight sent her flying back into the pavement, scraping her arm along the concrete. She was back up in an instant, only a few steps behind him when she heard Gus cry out. He'd ran straight into Castle who had turned back at the sounds of a scuffle, the force of impact and helping push from Castle had sent Gus flying onto his back. Kate leaped on top of him, her petite frame crowding his body as she flipped him, pinning his arms behind his back with her knee. She snapped the cuffs around his wrists, the metal warm from the heat of the day.

"Gus Irving, you are under arrest" she panted before dragging out her radio to call it in.

Fifteen minutes later, Gus was in the back of a cruiser being transported back to the precinct, Kate turned to follow in her car but Castle grabbed her arm. Concern was etched into his face as he looked at the now dry blood staining her white top.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, his eyes taking in the array of grazes up her arm. She watched him until his eyes met hers, then she held his gaze.

"I'm okay" she gave him a convincing smile. He nodded to himself before reaching up to gently caress her face, the contact seemed to appease his concerns as his fingertips danced lightly across her skin, wiping away the sweat and dirt from the short battle.

"Thanks" her fingertips squeezed around his wrist meaningfully, he held her hand for a brief second before they turned to step into the car.

"Now let's find out why he was running".

Xxx

Inside the interrogation room, Gus seemed to have lost all the confidence he had shown when sprinting down the heated streets. He sat now, his arms folded across his body, with his eyes gazing at a fixed point on the wall behind Kate's head, refusing to meet her eyes.

Kate sat before him and took him in. As one of the chief editors of Scandal magazine, he was not what she expected. His skin had a light bronze tone, his arm wore a sleeve of tattoos, all joined by a snake that ran up the length of his arm, across his chest, and back down the other arm. His shaven head was glistening with a layer of perspiration and dried blood marked his cheek where he had collided heavily with the pavement.

Kate took her time lining up her photos. She'd found an interesting assortment in Jessica's folder. It included a rap sheet under another name with a series of domestic assault charges.

"Gus Irving" she began.

"Or should we call you Todd Sheran?" Castle asked.

The mention of the second name sent a fresh wave of perspiration to roll off his head but he remained silent.

"Domestic assault charges. Attempted murder. I think this record, along with the first degree murder charge, should put you away for life" Kate mentioned casually.

"Not to mention evading arrest and assaulting an officer" Castle added.

"Murder? I didn't murder anyone!"

"Well, we came to ask you a few questions about the death of one of your employees, Jessica Sullivan, and not only do you run but you assault an officer during your pursuit?"

"Running screams guilt" Castle mentioned as an aside in a stage whisper to Kate.

"And now we find out that your entire identity is a lie. What else are you hiding?"

"No, it's not like that! I didn't kill her!"

"She was blackmailing you". It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. She was. She found out about my past, I don't know how, but that was so long ago! I made a few mistakes. That's why I used a fake name, to escape from it all, so I could start over"

"A few mistakes? Your wife was hospitalised six times because of you. You almost choked her to death." Disgust had begun to creep into Kate's voice.

"And I paid my time. I came out of prison a changed man, I just wanted to put it all behind me"

"And she threatened that" Castle probed.

"She did, she came to me with the records, the photos. She wanted a promotion"

"So you killed her" Kate finished.

"No. I didn't kill her. I told her I needed time, yes I threatened her, but I didn't kill her"

"Easy to slip back into familiar ways, no one would ever know, it would all just disappear again. Make it look like a suicide, people had heard the arguing, they'd believe that" Kate was building her case, she'd risen from her chair and began to circle Gus, ready to make the kill.

A knock at the door interrupted her. She glanced up, frustrated as she strode over and swung the door open.

"What?"

Ryan looked at her apologetically.

"There's another body"

Kate frowned at him, confused for a moment.

"In fact there's two more bodies"

"How does this relate?"

"There's another note".


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks so much for reading and for the reviews! I've got so many exciting things planned - I can't wait to share them all with you!_

 _Xxx_

 **Chapter Five**

The traffic had lightened none as Castle and Beckett headed out to their latest crime scene, the cars still thickly lining the streets as a heavy smog began to stick to the streets, the lack of breeze causing the stifling heat to intensify. Ryan had told them little about the new bodies, the report stated two victims were found in Central Park, they had only received the call as an eagle eyed officer from Jessica Sullivan's crime scene had recognised the rare paper that had been left with the bodies. Kate had asked Ryan and Espo to finish up with Gus Irving, mainly to find and confirm his alibi, whilst they worked out if there was a link between the cases.

The park still smelt like summertime, the heavy perfume wafting from the pollen of the nearby flower beds scenting the air and drawing Kate back into the happy memories of yesterday. The gravel path meandered through the bushes, Kate stopped to share a secret smile with Castle as they passed the spot they had picnicked at, her hand brushing against his as they continued forward through the thick of the bushes. They soon reached the spot surrounded by yellow crime scene tape, they were so far from the edge of the park they could no longer hear the grind of the traffic, it was easy to forget they were standing in the middle of the city.

Lanie stood in the centre of the small clearing, her gloved hands were holding a small evidence bag in front of her as she stood over the two bodies, a sense of melancholy settled in the telling line of her shoulders. Castle and Beckett approached her quietly, Kate pulling her from her thoughts by touching her shoulder.

"Hey Lanie" she broke in, searching her friend's face. "What have we got?"

Lanie gestured to the two bodies lying before her in the grass, their hands intertwined as they lay on their sides, their vacant eyes staring into one another's.

"They're just kids" Lanie said it so quietly they had to strain to hear. It wasn't often that a case affected Lanie on a personal level, but it happened every so often to all of them.

"How old are they?" Castle asked, his voice sounding strained as he took in the two pale forms of the teenagers laying broken before him.

"Fifteen. Both students at NY High School, they both have student IDs in their pockets" she explained.

All three of them paused for a moment of silence, reflecting on the tragedy they saw before them, before they knelt next to the bodies. The girl lay to the left, her short crop of dyed red hair lay flattened against her head, her peach vest had been soaked crimson from the stab wound in her heart. Her limp fingers lay interlinked with the boy's. His crop of messy brown curls matched the dark hue of his eyes, a splattering of vomit lay in the ground next to him, foam creating a moustache around his pale lips.

"The girl, Jazz Spink, was killed by a stab wound directly to the heart. She bled out." Lanie took another steadying breath. "The boy, Alto Giovanni, appears to have been poisoned. I'll have to run a tox screen to confirm."

"Time of death?" Kate asked quietly, unable to pull her eyes from the simple touch between the two bodies.

"Approximately eleven am. I don't know if I'll be able to determine who died first yet."

Kate nodded before laying a hand on Lanie's forearm.

"Thank you".

Castle called out to Lanie, his face paler than it had been when they'd arrived moments before.

"Lanie, can you swab her lips? Check it for poison?"

Lanie gave him a questioning look before reaching into her bag for another swab. Kate turned to face Castle,

"What is it?" She trusted his instincts.

"Romeo and Juliet" he murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"A teenage couple, a stabbing and a poisoning? It's Romeo and Juliet" he paused, suddenly remembering the note. "Where's the note?"

Lanie gestured to a CSU officer who brought over the small evidence bag. Within the bag the paper was slightly yellow, as though worn by time, the weight of the package suggested the same quality and thickness as the other note. Castle took in a deep breath as he studied the calligraphy that swirled across the page. Slowly, he read the words out.

"I fear, too early: for my mind misgives, some consequence yet hanging in the stars."

Kate held his gaze, searching his eyes for the meaning.

"It's Romeo and Juliet" his eyes holding hers as the consequences of that statement settled in; the cases were linked.

"What does it mean?" Kate's voice was quiet, a worry beginning to seep in.

"It's a line said by Romeo, before he meets Juliet. It means that he fears something destined to happen will be set in motion that night. He then goes on to say it will be the start of something terrible. Whoever is in charge of where his life is heading, can steer him wherever he wants".

Castle swallowed heavily, unable to draw his eyes away from the note before him, the words almost seemed to swim across the page. The silence of the park had lost its clarity and had become unnerving as the bodies of a modern day tragedy lay before them.

"Who found the body?". Kate stepped away from Castle and moved over to the uniformed officer who maintained the boundary between the crime scene and the park.

"A jogger, he thought the couple were napping or cuddling then as he got closer her saw the blood and called it in". Kate looked back at the crime scene where CSU combed the grass and surrounding area for evidence. Castle stood still staring into the note, swaying slightly as though he could find all the answers in the crumpled piece of parchment. She walked over to him, checking carefully as she walked in case she saw something hiding within the grass.

"Castle?" She called out, her words not reaching his busy mind.

"Hey, Castle" she pressed a warm hand to his forearm, dragging him from his thoughts as he turned to face her.

"Hey, Beckett"

"We need to go talk to the parents" she squeezed his arm as she spoke, her eyes full of unspoken apologies.

"You don't have to come…" She trailed off, her eyes wide and earnest as she watched him. He shook his head slowly at her.

"Of course I'm coming" he lay a brief hand over hers before turning to hand the evidence back to the officer. As they walked back through the park the gentle hum of the city filled their ears again. Castle dug into his pockets, pulling out his phone whilst Kate caught his eye. She smiled at him, understanding and compassion filling her face, as she gently bumped into him.

"Say hi for me" she smiled as she pulled out her own phone to catch up with the precinct.

"Hey Alexis, no, no, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to check in…"

Kate stepped away from him, his words fading away from her as she heard the ringing in her own phone.

"Hey Espo. I think the cases are linked, there was another note. Castle says it's from Romeo and Juliet. How did it go with Gus?"

His voice crackled back down the line.

"He gave us his alibi, hanging out at a dive bar before going home with a hooker. The bar and hooker both confirmed his alibi."

Kate let out a sigh, he had seemed like a plausible suspect, at least before the cases were connected.

"Okay, thanks. Any luck with CSU?"

"They ran an analysis on the note, it's 100% cotton paper, very expensive but available online and in specialist stores. They think there might be watermark on the back so we might be able to locate the store."

"That's promising"

"It gets better. The ink was homemade."

"Homemade?"

"Yup, with a mix of nails, vinegar, black tea and glue. Means it's untraceable, but unique."

"So if we find it we'll be able to identify it"

"Like a fingerprint. They also found tiny fragments in the ink, the writer used a hand made feather quill."

"Wow, okay. Write it up on the board, they're very specific hobbies. See if you can find any stores that specialise in ink and quills."

"On it".

Kate hung up the phone and walked back over to Castle, she heard him tell Alexis he loved her before replacing the phone into his pocket. He then stood, slightly hunched, squinting into the distance of the horizon.

"What's on your mind?" She was beside him, her eyes looking up into his, studying the lines of his face. He gave her a quick smile.

"Nothing"

She just gave him a look, telling him that she saw right through him. He watched her face and then his eyes were drawn to her wedding band where the sun sparkled off the metal. He brushed his thumb over her ring, the metal cool beneath his skin. Partners, he thought, in every sense of the word.

"I just can't stop thinking about their parents. Imaging their child was safe at school, carrying on with their day only to discover….this. It makes me think of all the times I just assumed Alexis was okay, but anything could have been happening". His eyes were wide with sorrow, the father in him overwhelmed with compassion.

"But it didn't. She was okay, she still is okay. She was a bright girl and is a sensible woman". Her words were reassuring, her smile genuine as worry still shaded her eyes.

"I guess it's natural to worry". He glanced around before resting his hands on her hips, keeping a short distance between them. "You'll find out soon enough".

Kate's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes bright with excitement at the prospect as she gave him a knowing smile.

"I can't wait". With that she turned and began to walk out the park, leaving him to stare behind her in wonder, the smile on the edge of his lips fighting the demons that had been raised within him.

Xxx

They sat in the car outside the elegant building where the parents of Alto lived, looking up at the ornate carvings above the door and the engravings in the stone work. They stepped out of the car in silence, both of them feeling the weight of what was about to come, in the next ten minutes they would change an entire family's life forever. Sometimes that weight laid heavily on Kate's shoulders, causing her to wish that this wasn't part of her job.

The doorman greeted them, calling up and leading the way to the penthouse apartment. The elevator ride with filled with a strained silence, Kate rehearsing in her head the words she would say that would shatter someone's life, whilst trying to block out the words from Reglan that echoed in her mind. Castle watched her in moments like this, wishing he could remove all the darkness from her life, he knew that he couldn't but took solace in the fact that she would seek comfort in him later. He could always lighten the dark spaces of her life.

They were greeted at the door by an Italian woman, she wore a long silk dress that flowed off her slender body, her hair was pinned on top of her head, the mess of curls having been tamed so they cascaded down her back. Her skin was the colour of warm toffee, her words were stained with an Italian accent, words just rolling off her tongue.

"Officers, welcome. How can I help you" her smile was so warm and inviting, as she gestured to a tray of aromatic coffee and small tempting pastries. Castle looked at Kate, his heart hurting when he saw the flash of desperation in her eye. It lasted only a moment before she pulled herself together, putting on her mask as she prepared to do her job.

"Mrs. Giovanni? I'm Detective Beckett and this is my partner, Mr. Castle. Is your husband home?".

"Please, call me Isabella" she smiled as she leant back into her chair, the velvet cushions enveloping her small frame. "My husband has returned to Italy for business".

"I see" Kate took a deep breath, taking one last look at the joy sparkling in Isabella's eyes, knowing the second that joy left it would be replaced with heart wrenching sorrow from which she may never recover.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news". Isabella's hand shot out, her fingers clenching Kate's as she leant forward in her chair. She murmured a word in Italian that Kate could not understand, her eyes wide, urging her to go on.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, your son Alto was found dead this afternoon".

Silence enveloped the room, Kate's fingertips turning white as Isabella's grip crushed the bones in her hand together. Kate refused to react, unable to detract from this moment, letting the pain sear through her body.

"No...no, no, no. Il mio bambino!"

Isabella slid from her chair to the floor, finally releasing Kate's hand as she sunk into the plush carpet covering the hardwood floor. An elderly woman burst through the door, a string of Italian falling from her mouth as she fawned over the woman sobbing on the floor. Kate stood, turning towards the kitchen and moved across the room, allowing the woman to grieve.

Castle stood behind her, watching her eyes through her reflection in the window, the afternoon sun causing her unblinked tears to glisten. He opened his mouth to speak but she just shook her head softly at him. His presence behind her was enough; for now. They stood that way for a few minutes, no need for words to share their feelings, until the old woman returned. Her eyes were wet with tears, her wrinkled hands trembling as she reached out to them.

"Come, come" she beckoned in broken English.

They stepped back into the grand room and were met by the vision of a very different woman, she seemed to have aged ten years, all laughter and softness had faded from her eyes, her make up smeared with the tears that stained her face.

"Please, what happened? What happened to my baby?". She stood before them begging, an arm clutching at each of them.

"Alto was found in Central Park this afternoon"

"No, no. It cannot be him! He is at school today!"

"His ID confirmed it was him. He was found with another student, her name was Jazz."

"Jazz? Jazz has died too?" A fresh sob wrecked her body.

"We believe they were murdered" Kate spoke quietly, afraid of shattering the woman who was so clearly on the edge of control.

"Murdered? Who would hurt them. Oh, my baby!"

"How did Jazz and Alto know each other?"

"They… They were a couple. Alto's father had banned him from seeing her. She was distracting him from his studies… They argued over it before he left. I told him he was being stupid! What harm can young love do?".

She looked up at them, her eyes empty as she began to sway before them.

"I need… I need to lie down". Her cold hands left their skin as she wandered away from them, moving through the space like a small child that was lost.

Castle and Beckett showed themselves out, as they walked over to the car Kate linked her fingers with Castle's tugging him with her as she opened the back door. She tumbled in, pulling him in behind her. He fell into the chair, reaching up to brush the hair from her face, his heart aching as he watched her crumple before him. Castle reached out, pulling her into his arms as she pressed her face into his neck, letting small sobs escape her lips. He ran his fingers through her hair, his other hand stroking her back.

"Shh, it's okay. You're okay".

They sat like that for a few minutes, Castle whispering into her hair as she calmed herself against his skin. Like a summer storm, the whirlwind passed quickly and Kate pulled back to look into his eyes, her face lightly flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry" she murmured, but he only shook his head at her.

"I felt it too". They didn't need to speak any other words, they both just knew. They sat like that for a few moments, until they felt ready to face the world again. Castle caught Kate's hand, his fingers running across the light marks that marred her skin, before drawing it up to his lips and covering it with a spattering of kisses.

She smiled at him, the smile saying more than all the words in the world could.

"Ready?" He asked, his eyes searching her face, reassuring himself that her grief would pass.

"Let's do this" Kate squeezed his hand, tugging him to her for a soft kiss, the kind she would reflect on later that night when the darkness haunted her dreams, he would always be her beacon, guiding her out of the storm. She pushed aside the bad feeling that had planted a seed in her stomach, refusing to acknowledge any consequence that may be hanging in the stars.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Kate refused to let the darkness mark her as they moved quickly across town to the pack of high rises where Jazz's family lived. Where Jazz lived the buildings were cramped together, every inch of free space claimed for living, no pots or pretty blooms decorated the sidewalk here. Only the fresh marks of graffiti against the concrete buildings sprinkled colour into the grey. Kate squinted up, the building seeming to rise up endlessly, she could imaging the families cramped inside, more people than there were rooms.

"It's a far cry from the Giovanni's" Castle remarked as he looked down the bustling street, beggars sat in the empty doorways, their coffee cups jingling with coins as they shook them at passerbys.

"Yet they both attended NY High School."

"What is it people say?" Castle commented, meeting her eyes across the heated sidewalk. "Love knows no boundaries, no reason, no distance."

Kate smiled softly at him.

"Well at least they had that."

They started their journey up the flights of stairs, their noses wrinkling at the smell that hung in the dank space until they reached the landing of the sixth floor. Drawing in gasps of the heated air, they paused momentarily to compose themselves. Castle could see the frustration in Kate's eyes for allowing herself to become upset earlier. It amazed him that it didn't happen more often. During his first few years shadowing her, he had spent many long nights awake with a glass of whiskey, unable to block the images of the dead and their loved ones from his mind. He'd found a new solace now, one he could pull into his arms when the images haunted him late at night, one that would kiss away the images until all he could feel was joy.

"Stop it." She hissed, scowling at him.

"What?" His eyes were wide and innocent, truly unaware of his crime.

"You're…" She fought to find the right word, her eyes softening slightly as she did. "You're gazing at me."

He tried not to allow the smile teetering at the edge of his lips spread into a grin.

"I can't help it. You astound me."

The smile he was fighting reached his eyes, warming them to the colour of rich sapphires before her. He watched her face lighten, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, lessening the effects of her words.

"Well appreciate me without the gazing, I've got a badass reputation to maintain, don't you know?"

He straightened immediately, saluting her as he spoke.

"Sir, yes, Sir!"

Laughter danced in her eyes as she gently bumped her shoulder against his before raising her hand to knock at the apartment door. They waited in silence, the knowledge of what was about to come hung heavily over them both. A few moments passed before Kate knocked again, this time calling out.

"Ms. Spink? NYPD, we need to talk to you."

There was no reply as Kate knocked once more.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" A voice grumbled from the doorway opposite. They turned around to take in the disheveled appearance of the neighbour, he had grey skin and wide eyes that flicked between their faces.

"What's with all the noise?" He leant lazily against the doorframe, using his worn fingers to rub at his eyes, the late afternoon sun seeming to disturb him.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sir. We're looking for the mother of Jazz Spink."

"Zara? Why? What's she done now?" His interested seem to awaken him further and he stopped scratching at his eyes to peer closely at Kate's badge.

"She's not in any trouble. We just need to speak to her about her daughter."

The man seemed to contemplate this, looking behind them at her closed apartment.

"She's not there, hasn't been in days. Went away last week."

"Went away? Where to?"

The man shrugged.

"How should I know?"

"Who was caring for Jazz?"

This seemed to amuse the man, his mouse like features scrunched up in laughter.

"Look after Jazz? She weren't no sniffling baby. She was fine on her own."

Kate's face now wore a frown along the lightly tanned skin of her forehead, it caused all her features to draw together as she stared into the man before her.

"Do you have any contact details for Zara? Or know when she should be back?"

The man shrugged again, quickly losing his interest for this conversation as he stifled a yawn.

"I'm not her keeper."

Kate fought the frustrated sigh that was threatening to tumble out of her mouth. She handed the man her card.

"If she comes back, if you remember anything about Jazz, anyone visiting her, anything unusual, give me a call."

He took the card, squirrelling it into the pocket of his grimy jeans without even looking at it.

"What's she done?" He called out as they began to move down the corridor. Kate looked back over her shoulder, holding the man's gaze.

"She died. That's what she's done."

Kate let the stairwell door click shut behind her, her pace increasing with irritation. They reached the sidewalk quickly, the school was walking distance from where they were. Kate began to walk, her long strides carrying her quickly as she mulled over the facts in her head. She paused to glance back, checking Castle was keeping pace with her, and she could see the anger flashing in his eyes.

"Who leaves a fifteen year old home alone?" The anger caused his voice to come out in a tight, clipped tone. Kate studied his face, of all the things he treated lightly in his life, parenting was not one of them. Kate couldn't answer his question so she just pressed her lips together, pounding the pavement alongside him.

Their fast pace meant they quickly reached the school, neither of them affected by the thin layer of sweat that clung to their clothes. They were quickly buzzed through the doors and found themselves in a long corridor, waiting outside the principal's office. The door opened and a short women stepped out, she wore a fitted blue suit, her shoes and fingernails matching her outfit, as did the small plastic decorations in her ears.

"Good afternoon, I'm Principal Jones. I understand you wish to speak with me?"

Kate made the introductions as she and Castle stepped into the large office, sitting in the chairs that awaited them before the desk.

"We need to speak to you about two of your students, Jazz Spink and Alto Giovanni."

Confusion flashed across her face for a moment before she tapped at her keyboard, the records appearing before her.

"Can you tell me if both students were here today?"

Mrs. Jones looked at the screen, her eyes relieved when she quickly found the information.

"Yes, both students were here this morning." She reached for her phone, "would you like me to send for them?"

Kate's eyes flashed with surprise as she met Castle's.

"You believe the students are still here?"

The principal looked at the screen again, reassuring herself.

"They were both here this morning. Role call is taken again at the end of the day."

"But not during?" Castle cut in.

"No…"

"So a student could be missing and you wouldn't know until the end of the day?"

"Well that's highly unlikely, there are procedures in place." She began, her face falling quickly into one of diplomacy.

"Principal Jones" Kate began, pausing until she held the woman's gaze. "Jazz and Alto were found dead in Central Park this afternoon."

The principal's eyes fell back to her screen, as though she could find the answers there.

"I… What do you mean?"

"They were murdered, at approximately eleven am."

The principal reached up to touch at the gaudy gems around her neck, tugging on them briefly as though they were choking her.

"Murdered?" The word was a breath, Kate could see the principal's eyes flicking around the office, trying to decide her next port of call. Kate decided to make it easy for her.

"Can you tell us how two of your students could leave the premises, hours ago, unnoticed?" The challenge in Kate's eyes was clear. The principal sat up straighter in her chair, the initial shock having begun to wear off.

"There are procedures in place. Boundaries and doors requiring passes, but this isn't a prison, Detective. These are intelligent, wily teenagers. If they wanted to get out, they would have found a way."

Castle narrowed his eyes.

"Is that what you're going to tell their parents?" His voice was quiet, the anger in his eyes speaking volumes.

"Well, really" the principal started before standing. "I think you should leave, I need to speak to the staff. I must address the other students, and their parents." She began to usher them towards the door.

"We'll be back, to speak with their friends."

"Yes, yes. Really detective, let me break the news first."

They found themselves standing back outside the school, watching as the bell rung calling all the students together.

"I don't trust her." Castle mused, leaning back on his heels to stare at the wide entrance to the school.

"Covering her back, protecting the reputation of her school." Kate agreed before pulling out her buzzing phone. Castle looked at her.

"Message from Lanie, she's ready for us."

They moved away from the school and towards the morgue, neither of them happy with the picture that was being painted before them.

This time as they entered the morgue, Castle cracked no jokes as he entered the cool air. Instead his eyes were solemn, full of regret as he took in the two pale bodies laying out before him.

"They look younger." Castle's voice was barely a whisper, the teenagers before him, covered only by a sheet, seemed to have lost their years along with their clothes and make up. They looked like children. Lanie met their eyes, the same sorrow haunting her features.

"Let's start with Alto." She spoke quietly as she moved alongside his body. His toffee coloured skin seemed to have faded in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the morgue and seemed almost red.

"He was drugged with ketamine, small needle mark at the back of his neck. They both were, enough to keep them awake but paralysed. He was poisoned with cyanide mixed into cola. He was force fed it."

"How can you tell?" Castle asked, unable to draw his eyes away from the boy's face.

"He choked on it. The same liquid was found in his wind pipe. It would have killed him within minutes. I'm having the cyanide tested to see if it's a specific compound or homemade. It's why his body looks slightly pink."

They both nodded, following Lanie as she moved towards the girl.

"Jazz. She was also paralysed, I believe she was killed second, but I'm still working on confirming it. She was killed by a single stab wound to the heart, the abrasions around the edge of the wound suggest it was a dagger. From the depth of the wound I think around seven inches long, but I'll make a cast of the wound to be sure."

Castle drew his eyes up to meet Lanie's, a question hung in his gaze.

"You were right Castle." She spoke softly, "she had the same poison on her lips, none was found inside her mouth though. It was as though it was brushed on."

Kate turned to face him, her mind still absorbing the facts.

"What does it mean, Castle?"

"It's Romeo and Juliet." He said the words darkly, as though he'd been praying all day to be wrong. "Romeo discovers Juliet, thinking she's dead he drinks the poison, killing himself. But she awakens, discovers he is dead and tries to drink the poison too, but there's none left. So she kills herself, with a dagger to the heart."

"Never was there a tale of more woe…" Lanie echoed, watching the worry cloud Castle's features.

"Beckett, do we have a –" He paused, almost unable to say the word aloud, as though by speaking the words he would breathe life into them. "Do we have a serial killer?"

Kate held his gaze, her lips pressed together as her hands twisted behind her back.

"Two notes, three bodies, two Shakespeare plays." Castle looked at her, his eyes wide, this time not in excitement.

"I don't know…" She began, looking around the morgue, not wanting to commit.

"Come on, there's no way these cases aren't linked." He began.

"That doesn't make it a serial killer." She held his gaze, her eyes hard.

"I thought three bodies was the definition of a serial killer?" He asked, unable to understand her reluctance.

"I just…" She fought for the right words. "I don't want to jump to conclusions."

Castle studied her posture, the way her fingers worried at the chain around her neck; he knew not to push her.

"Let's go home, take the case files and look at it with a fresh perspective."

Castle nodded in agreement, following her silently out of the morgue, unable to block the image of the children's empty eyes from his mind.

Back at the loft they had remained in a slightly strained silence, even as Castle opened a bottle of wine and as Kate lay the files out along the office floor. She sat cross legged before them, if you couldn't see the photos of the lifeless faces before her, it looked almost as though she were meditating. They started back at the photos of Jessica's crime scene, Castle looking at the images of Jessica's burnt hands.

"If we stay with the Shakespearian theme, look at these hands. They look red don't they?"

Kate frowned at him.

"They look burned to me." Castle fought a sigh.

"Work with me here. If she's Lady Macbeth, bullying and belittling her husband, her hands are red with guilt, just as Lady Macbeth's were red with the blood she couldn't wash off."

Kate lowered the report she was looking at and sat back on her heels. She watched Castle move around the office before her, his features animated as he explained his reasoning.

"The note, it fits. Lines from Macbeth. Then take today's crime scene. Two teenagers in love, banned from seeing each other, sneak away from school for a day in the park only to meet the fates of Romeo and Juliet. Again, another note. Don't tell me it doesn't fit."

Castle paused to look at her, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Her eyes were focused on where her knees bent before her, her fingers touching aimlessly at the files.

"Kate, why won't you see it?" He asked, his brow furrowed. "This isn't one of my stupid theories, this has logic and evidence behind it." She could hear the anger beginning to taint his words. "Do you just not want me to be right?" He asked, his words stinging her. Kate's head snapped up, her eyes darkened.

"Castle, this is not about you." She rose in one fluid movement to meet his gaze head on, her eyes holding his as she let her hands fist at her sides.

"Don't you see it?" She asked, echoing his words. "If this is a serial killer, if we accept that, then it means there's going to be another body. It means that right now" she paused to gesture out towards the window where the streets were busy below them. "Right now, he's out there, he's picked someone and he's going to kill them and nothing we can do will stop that. Someone else is going to die."

All the anger in Castle's body evaporated at the grief in her eyes. He stepped towards her, pulling her into his arms. She fought him for a moment before sagging into his embrace.

"I'm sorry" he whispered into her hair, dropping soft kisses through the tangle of curls. She shook her head, pressing her face into his neck, feeling his warm skin against her mouth.

"I can't stop it." She choked into his skin.

"Not yet." He agreed, squeezing her again when she trembled against him. "But you will. You're Detective Kate Beckett, with a badass reputation I hear." He heard her muffled laugh against his neck, feeling her warm breath blow out across his skin he knew she'd be okay. "If anyone can get this son of a bitch, it's you."

Kate leant back in his arms to study the fierce glint of his eyes, she nodded at him in agreement, feeling grounded within his arms. She moved forward, stealing a kiss from the corner of his mouth.

"I love you." She held his gaze, ensuring he felt the full weight of her words. He stroked back a curl from her face, touching his fingertips to the serious lines of her forehead.

"I love you, too." He whispered the words against her lips, holding her against him for a long kiss that centred them as it stole their breath.

Kate pressed her head against his chest, looking back over her shoulder at the faces of the dead on their study floor.

"Ready?" He asked, running his fingertips down the lean muscles of her back.

"Let's do this." They turned, hand in hand, ready to lose themselves in the victims they stood for.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The darkness of the night touched most of the corners of Castle's office. The dim light from the lamp on his desk cast dull shadows over the floor space where Castle and Kate sat working. They'd sat for hours, the night closing in around them as they laid out the crime scene photos, setting their timeline, going over the facts again and again.

Kate rolled her neck as she worked, grimacing at the tightness that had coiled there, her hunched position wasn't helping but she ignored the cries from her muscles as she continued to reread reports.

Castle lent over her, placing a hot cup of coffee next to her, the smell floating up warm and inviting. She lent her head back to flash him a quick smile. He paused to take in her features, the smile warming him more than the coffee ever could. He pressed a kiss into her forehead, letting his hands fall to her tense shoulders, rubbing gently to dispel the knots that had formed there. A soft sigh escaped Kate's mouth as she lent back into his touch, relishing the feeling of his powerful hands over her tired skin.

"Anything jumping?" He asked, his voice low against her ear.

She shook her head, he could see the frustration circling in her exhausted eyes.

"Talk Shakespeare to me."

He smiled warmly at her, running his fingers down her cheek.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

Kate chuckled softly, capturing his fingers and pressing them against her lip.

"That's not what I meant."

She kissed his fingers again as Castle smiled back at her. He dropped down opposite her, sitting cross legged on the floor before her so he wouldn't have to release her hands.

"I get the Romeo and Juliet. Two teenagers in love, banned from seeing each other, both end up dead with society to blame. I understand the themes of the play and can see it in their lives. I still don't quite understand MacBeth and the relation."

"MacBeth is told by witches that he is destined to be king but in order to become king the current king, Duncan, must die. Lady MacBeth belittles and pressurises her husband into killing Duncan so he can claim the throne."

Understanding began to light Kate's eyes.

"Just as Jessica tried to bully her husband into blackmailing his boss?"

"Exactly." Pride gleamed in Castle's eyes. "MacBeth gives in to his wife and kills Duncan. Lady MacBeth becomes obsessed with the blood on her hands, unable to wash it off. Eventually she kills herself."

Kate bit her lip thoughtfully.

"So the red hands could be the blood stains? And the death staged as a suicide to fit with the play?"

"It could."

Kate tried to stifle a yawn and covered her face with her hand. Castle tugged gently on her hand, pulling her up with him.

"Come" he instructed, pulling her along behind him, leaving the steaming cups of coffee on the floor untouched. "Let's sleep."

The small sounds of protest Kate began to make were cut off by Castle's tender lips.

"Bed. Now."

She sighed into him, pressing her face into the warmth of his neck before following him into the bedroom. They were asleep within minutes.

Xxx

When Castle awoke he felt tireder than he had before he'd gone to bed. He rubbed a hand over his rough face, cursing inwardly at the dawn that was creeping through the blinds. He rolled over, searching out Kate's warmth to bury his face into. Pressing his hands into the cold sheets he could feel she was gone, he sat up glancing around, wondering how many hours sleep she'd had.

Castle showered and dressed quickly, walking into the kitchen to find her sat at the countertop, a fresh steaming cup of coffee waiting for him on the marbled top. He glanced at the cup of coffee then back to her face, her eyes flashed up to greet his, her ready smile welcoming him. He stepped closer, she looked rested after their short sleep, ready to attack the world. Castle reached for the cup of coffee, pressing a kiss to her mouth as he did. She already tasted like sweet vanilla. The thought caused him to smile as he pulled his own coffee towards his mouth.

"I feel like the more this case makes sense, the less it makes sense, you know?"

He swirled the mouthful of coffee around his mouth, waiting for the caffeine to kick in as he looked questioningly at her.

"The Shakespeare element makes more sense. The deaths were staged as those plays. But I don't know why, or how the victims were chosen. Was it random? Or is there a link I'm not seeing?"

Kate began to move across the kitchen, the questions pouring through her mind making her restless. Castle watched her for a moment, the whirlwind of her that brought so much colour into his life. He could watch her all day.

"Let's go and find out." Castle held his hand out to his wife, quickly falling in time with her as they walked out of the loft.

Xxx

The team assembled before the whiteboard, the timeline had been extended to include both crime scenes. Kate paced before the board, her eyes studying her own block lettering, searching for something she'd missed as she waited for Espo to finish his phone call to forensics.

The second Espo hung up the phone Kate's eyes were on his face. He stepped forward.

"CSU had little to report. The cyanide was home made, just like the ink and the quill. No finger prints or hairs were found at either of the scenes, but they did find a purple cotton fibre. Lanie was able to create a mould of the weapon and confirmed it was a dagger."

Kate wrote the new additions up onto the whiteboard, before turning back to face her team.

"Ryan, Espo, can you chase CCTV around the park. See if you can follow the kids route, if anyone stands out or seems to be following them. Possibly someone wearing purple. Also reach out to universities with Shakespeare specialists. I know it's a long shot, but see if any one of them stand out or if anyone stands out to them."

Kate took the copies of the notes from the whiteboard.

"Castle and I will follow up on the notes. He had to have bought this paper from somewhere, it's quite rare, CSU haven't been able to identify the watermark yet. Hopefully he bought the ink ingredients at the same shop."

Before they split, Ryan passed Kate the list of possible shops that sold the specialist paper, the list appeared endless and Castle sunk into his chair with a sigh.

"Isn't this the kind of grunt work we pass off to them?" Castle whined, gesturing to Ryan and Espo across the bullpen. Kate rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry Castle, is the real police work too much for you?"

Her grin was teasing, the challenge in her eyes clear.

"Ooh, Detective Beckett. Your words make me tremble."

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes darkening as she looked at him. He raised a suggestive eyebrow causing a blush to rise over her cheeks. Shaking her head at him she turned back to her screen, her fingers tapping quickly over the keys, pushing her thoughts of him from her mind.

"Here we go."

Castle pulled out his phone, his fingers typing just as quickly against the tiny keys. Both of their thoughts lost in paper.

Xxx

"Beckett"

Castle's voice broke through the endless monotony of the searching, it was a welcome break for Kate. She looked at him, her eyes squinting to refocus on his face instead of the screen.

"I think I've got one here."

Kate lent back in her chair, rolling her shoulders as she did, looking into her empty coffee cup.

"Parchmates – they specialise in English Literature and finding old, rare texts. They also sell the paper we're looking for and hold regular classes on ink making and other techniques. Oh, they also hold mini seminars on Chaucer and Shakespeare."

Kate met his eyes, anticipation blooming within them.

"Let's go."

Xxx

The shop was small and quaint, seeming totally out of place on the bustling streets of New York. The small glass windows were shaded, preventing the sun from touching the rare books held within the store. The door was a mixture of stained glass, the pattern Castle recognised as the Globe theatre. They pushed open the door, a small bell tinkling announcing their arrival. They instantly felt transported back in time, across the Atlantic.

The dark wooden floors creaked underfoot, and the small room smelt like old leather mixed with dusty pages. Castle inhaled deeply, closing his eyes to the scent.

"I feel like Shakespeare could just step out." Castle whispered, feeling a need to be quiet in the tranquil space. Kate mirrored his smile, feeling like she could stay within the store forever. The stained glass window created a rainbow of colours on the wooden floor, creating a burst of light in between the dark hues.

Walking along the shelves, Castle brushed his hands over the old leather spines, his fingers delighting at the touch.

"Please don't touch." An older gentleman stepped out, speaking in a clear British accent. Castle pulled his hand back quickly, smiling sheepishly as Kate raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm Detective Beckett and this is Mr. Castle. We're with the NYPD." Kate introduced as she took in the short man. His grey hair was neatly combed, a small pair of spectacles perched precariously on the end of his nose. Despite the heat he wore a green shirt covered by an old, brown waistcoat.

"Beckett." He mused, pausing just for a moment before his face broke into a well worn smile. "Dance first, think later. It's the natural order."

Kate stared at him, waiting for his words to make sense to her, she looked questioningly at Castle whose face broke into a smile.

"No relation." He replied. The gentleman threw his head back and laughed, clasping Castle's hand.

"Giles Worthington." He introduced, shaking Castle's hand vigorously. "Always a pleasure to meet a man who knows his literature."

Kate looked between the men, totally lost.

"Samuel Beckett, he was an Irish playwright." Castle explained. Kate nodded, smiling at Giles.

"I'll have to look him up."

Giles returned her smile before glancing around him. His hand fell upon the small, leather bound book he was searching for before he pressed it into her hands.

"A gift"

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

"You can and you will. I can see the intelligence in your eyes, you deserve to know your name sake."

Kate ran her fingers over the fine gold lettering on the front of the collection of plays.

"Thank you." Her eyes were earnest as she looked at him.

"Now what can I do for you?"

Kate pulled the evidence pouches from her bag and laid them out on the table before Giles.

"We're trying to identify where this paper was bought."

Giles hunched over the paper immediately, his wrinkled face frowning into well worn lines.

"Shakespeare." There was no question in his voice, he recognised the lines immediately.

"They were found with bodies posed in scenes from the plays."

Sadness filled Giles' eyes, he paused to look at them, his face downcast.

"I'm so sorry."

"Do you recognise the paper?"

Giles turned the paper over in his hands.

"If it's mine it will have our watermark, it's hard to spot. I'd need to remove them from the bags."

Castle looked at Kate who nodded, pulling out a pair of latex gloves.

"You need to wear these."

Giles quickly pulled on the gloves before touching the paper. Castle could tell he spent his life touching old, crumbling paper from the delicate way he touched the edges of the documents. Using a magnifying glass he leaned closely over the paper, studying it's form.

"It's mine." He sounded devastated, as though by having created the paper he had killed the people himself. "This ink isn't mine though, it appears handmade."

Giles fell back into the chair behind him, tears glistening in his pale blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just need a minute." He sat looking around at his old books, appearing lost as Castle and Beckett shared a look. "It's just, he's been here. In my shop. You say he killed people?"

"Three people." Kate said quietly. "Does anyone come to mind? Someone with a good knowledge of Shakespeare, who buys this paper, who makes their own ink?"

Giles shook his head before standing slowly. He seemed to have aged before them. He leant over to his handwritten records and flipped through the pages.

"Only a handful of people buy that paper, it's quite expensive. Here, take their names."

Kate thanked him for his help, squeezing his weathered hand.

"Please, if there's anything else I can do to help, let me know."

Kate promised they would as they moved towards the door, as they reached the stained glass they paused, hearing his voice behind them.

"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break."

As the door shut behind them Kate looked up at Castle, questions in her eyes.

"Put your sorrow into words, the grief you keep inside you will whisper in your heart until it breaks."

Kate stopped in the bustling street, the contrast to the tranquility of the shop was intense. She lent her head against his shoulder.

"He was devastated."

"Please tell me we can rule him out?" Castle rested his head atop of hers.

"We'll check his alibi, but he doesn't seem strong enough to lift a body, let alone hang one."

They stood that way for a moment, just leaning on each other, their fingers interlinking behind her back.

"I'll take you to England one day." Castle murmured against her, "You'd love the British Library, thousands upon thousands of old books, all with that smell."

Kate smiled up at him, pressing a tender kiss into the corner of his mouth.

"Sounds magical."

He held her gaze for a moment, feeling lost in time before they turned back into the madness of the city.

Xxx

There were seven names on the list Giles had given them, the first address they'd visited belonged to an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair who used the paper to write to his daughters. At the second address the doorman told them the lady they were looking for was summering in London and wouldn't be back until September. At the third address they found the apartment door slightly open, silence radiating from the room beyond.

Kate pulled her gun from it's holster, stepping before Castle as she slowly opened the door. As she stepped across the threshold her nostrils were flooded by the thick metallic smell. She quickly cleared the corners, allowing Castle to step into the small space behind her. They stood together, staring at the scene before them.

A long curtain hanging from a rail covered the body, the outline of it visible through the thin fabric. A sword through the stomach pinned the body to the wall, the blood still freshly pouring through the curtains. Kate saw the foot twitch underneath the curtains.

"He's still alive!"


	8. Chapter 8

**All The World's A Stage**

 **Chapter Eight**

The blood was pooling quickly beneath the feet of the body behind the curtain. The fabric which had once been green was now stained dark with blood. Kate moved quickly towards the figure, moving the curtain from the face until she could see the features. It was the face of a hispanic male, his cheeks were pale and his eyes were wide with shock. He stared blankly at Kate who took in the scene before her. Her hands fell instinctively to to the hilt of the sword.

"Beckett, No!" Castle shouted out, appearing over her shoulder. "If we remove the blade he'll bleed out."

"But the blade's pinning him to the wall." Kate's eyes were wide as she used the fabric of the curtain to press against the wound around the glinting edges of the blade.

As Castle called for an ambulance, Kate turned to the man, her fingers now wet with his blood.

"What happened? Can you tell me what happened?" Kate's voice was soft and soothing as she murmured to the man, reassuring him that he would be okay. The man looked over her shoulder, his eyes falling to the dark hallway beyond them.

"Did he just leave?"

The man's head moved in what Kate could only assume to be a nod. She glanced over her shoulder, her brow crinkling as she tried to remember if they had passed anyone on their way up. Before Kate could speak, Castle moved from behind her, stepping out through the door.

"Castle!" She shouted after him, but he didn't reply. Kate glanced down to where her hands were applying pressure to the wound and she wished she could follow Castle. As his footsteps echoed down the length of the hallway, the man before her began to gurgle, blood beginning to run from his mouth down to his chin.

"No, no. Just hold on. You'll be okay. Just hold on." The man stared into Kate, his brown eyes glistening as she smiled gently at him. Slowly, she saw the light fade from him as her wet hands fought to keep the life within him.

In the hallway Castle walked quietly, his eyes searching the dark corners as he moved along its length. He knew it was a long shot, it was unlikely the killer had waited behind, especially after their arrival. Moving further along Castle saw a small white object lying at the entrance to the stairwell. He leant down slowly, leaning in, knowing better than to touch potential evidence. He squinted softly at it, his heart stilling as recognition flashed through him. It was a long white feather. The end had been carefully shaved into a point. Castle felt a rush of excitement and turned to call out to Kate.

As he did, a figure brushed past him, apologising as a sharp pain shot into his arm. Castle glanced up, unable to see the face on the figure before him. He moved his hand to press against his bicep, drawing in a sharp breath when he felt the warm sting of blood. As he rose to face the man he lost his balance. Castle fell back slowly, sprawling on to his back as his eyes struggled to focus on the ceiling above him. He was struggling to draw in breaths as he felt his heart pounding in his ear.

"Mr. Castle." The figure bent down to speak to him, his voice holding the faint drawl of a foreign accent. Castle squinted his eyes but was still unable to focus them. The man before him was lost in a faded blur.

"When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, When the battle's lost and won". The voice whispered into his ear, Castle could hear the taunting edge on the words as they seeped through his consciousness.

The fluttering of a piece of paper against his stomach was the last thing Castle felt as he faded out into darkness. He reached his hand out behind him, a last word lost on his tongue.

"Kate."

Xxx

Kate felt the blood grow cold in her hands. She continued to press against the wound but in her heart she knew he was gone. His eyes stared out lifelessly at her, his heart no longer beating and a paleness began to cloak his cheeks. Kate dropped to the floor, sitting back on her heels as she blinked the tears from her eyes. She'd felt the man die beneath her finger tips and she did not even know his name.

Kate glanced around the room, her eyes searching for a clue that might hold his identity. Her eyes fell quickly to the scrap of old paper that was resting on the floor. Kate felt her heart still at the sight. Drawing in a steadying breath, Kate moved over to the note, careful not to touch it with her bloodied hands. She moved so that she could see the writing, another riddle of swirls and ink.

"I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins and worse remains behind."

The words were lost on Kate, their meaning did not reach her and she thought instantly of Castle. He would know what it meant. She glanced behind her, a faint sense of panic setting in when she realised he hadn't returned to the apartment.

"Castle?" She called out cautiously, her bloodied hand touching the outline of her weapon in its holster. Kate moved slowly through the hallway, her feet barely making a sound as she moved, keeping close to the walls.

Then Kate froze.

Before her she could see Castle sprawled on the floor, his wide frame was still and his eyes were closed. She could see the scrap of paper resting upon his chest and the white quill beside his feet. Kate quickly cleared the end of the corridor with her eyes before turning and falling to her knees before him.

"Castle? Castle?" She touched desperately at his face, his cheeks pale and his lips red. She could hear the faint pull of breath through his lips and she nearly doubled over in relief. Kate ran her hands down his face and along his arm, pulling back when she found one arm wet with blood. She sat back on her feet, her hands running gently over his chest as she called his name. Then she remembered the note. She touched it with trembling fingers, the heavy paper barely flapping with her movements. It held the same calligraphy as the note she had just found, the words swirling together beneath her panic. Kate took a few steadying breaths before she read it.

"To die, to sleep— No more—and by a sleep to say we end, The heartache and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir to—'tis a consummation, Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep."

The worlds tumbled through Kate's mind, mixing with the words she had read only moments earlier. They still held no meaning to her, each word becoming more foreign with every beat of her panicked heart.

"Can you hear me?" She called softly, pressing her lips against Castle's ear as she spoke. He didn't move.

"You're going to be okay. You hear me? You're going to be okay. I promise." The words were fractured by the tremor running through Kate's body as she pressed her warm hands against his cold face.

"Hold on Rick, just hold on."

The echo of heavy footsteps behind her had Kate reaching for her weapon. She turned quickly, blinking the tears from her eyes, her weapon trained before her. Two paramedics stood there, their hands in the air as their eyes widened in shock. Kate quickly dropped her weapon, shame flooding her cheeks as she looked up at them.

"Detective Beckett, NYPD." She explained quickly.

"We were called to a stabbing." The paramedics began, as they glanced down at Castle, confusion clear on their faces. Kate shook her head.

"He didn't make it. He's in the apartment." Kate gestured behind her and one of the paramedics moved toward the door, looking around cautiously as he did.

"My partner." Kate began quickly, "He came out to look for the suspect and when I came out he was like this."

The paramedic nodded before kneeling down before Castle, checking his pulse and his pupils . Kate clutched his hand as the paramedic began to work, his hand feeling heavy and limp within the grasp of her own hands. The other paramedic return from the apartment, shaking his head gently at his partner. She nodded, before gesturing down at Castle.

"His vitals are dropping. We need to get him to the hospital."

Kate moved with him, the note now crumpled within her hand as they left the building, the body of the man left behind to be met by the coroner.

Xxx

Whilst the journey to the hospital was short, it felt to Kate like an eternity. The entire journey all she could hear in her mind were Shakespeare quotes melting together to create further passages she couldn't understand. The whole time Kate questioned herself, if she had gone with him, this wouldn't have happened. But that would mean leaving a man to die alone. The fear in his eyes already haunted her. It seemed which ever choice she made, someone would end up hurt or dead. It caused her heart to ache.

When the ambulance pulled into the bay and they began wheeling Castle through the hospital, Kate clutched onto his hand, her red skin pressing into his.

"Ma'am, you need to leave him here. We're going to run some tests and continue to monitor his vitals."

Kate nodded, the motion causing tears to fall from her eyes. She squeezed his limp hand before pressing a kiss to his cold lips.

"I love you, Castle. I'll be waiting for you." And with that he was gone.

Kate stood alone in the corridor, looking down at the stains on her hands. She moved quickly to the bathroom, watching as the thick lather of the soap turned red from her skin before swirling slowly down the drain. Leaning against the sink, she twirled the thin metal of her wedding band around her finger. They'd been through worse, she reminded herself. If only she could believe in her own words.

Xxx

Kate sat in the bright hallway of the ER, her fingers tapping impatiently against her leg as she waited. The buzz of her phone told her that Lanie, Ryan and Espo had arrived at the murder scene and begun processing the scene. Kate's fingers continued to rise along her leg until they reached the crumpled paper within her pocket. She slowly drew the paper out, flattening it against the hard plastic of the chair. She felt a pang of pain in her heart again as she wished Castle was here to translate for her, it was like a different language. Instead she settled for google and searched quickly to find which play the lines were from. She quickly found they were from Hamlet and continued to search the main themes of the play. When she found them her heart froze, a new wave of panic surging through her. She ran through the doors of the ER, the doctors turning quickly to reprimand her.

"Poison." She shouted, the word leaving her breathless. "He's been poisoned!"


End file.
